Who knew that discovering a hole in someone else’s ceiling could instill a sense of pride? But it did. The reason: my on-again, off-again relationship with the gym was recently rekindled, and it was the gym’s ceiling. That’s right, I was doing sit-ups, which made it remarkably easy to notice the rather gaping hole. Did I mention that I was doing sit-ups?

The view from down here

The impetus for my triumphant return was anger (which I’m not really proud of). I was pissed off that my clothes were tight. Fortunately, I used my anger for good instead of evil. I even ran a bit on the treadmill my first day back, which I do not enjoy at all, but my pants told me to do it, so I did.

Rather than wait for the trite New Year Migration, I decided that I had to make time for the gym now. Being busy is no longer a viable excuse for extended absences. Plus, then I can properly flex my pride muscle for having beaten the January crew to the punch. (Petty, I know, yet still satisfying.)

So on my first day back, I overheard a brief exchange between a 50s something woman and her personal trainer which must be shared for humor’s sake.

Trainer:       Do 30 reps.

…15 seconds later…

Woman:      Done.

Trainer:       There’s no way you did 30 already.

Woman:      I know how to count. Plus, I’m paying you.

This conversation made me laugh out loud, which of course then made the ladies laugh, too. All in all, it was a good trip back. I have stuck with it for two weeks and counting during one of the toughest times of the year to stay focused (the holidays), so feeling pretty positive.

First day back

One thing I’ve figured out just recently is that ‘all or nothing’ is not a good strategy for people like me who don’t live to run, train or compete, but rather, they want to stay in decent shape and avoid testing the stitching of their pants on a daily basis. Going, doing, achieving and keeping the momentum moving forward is a much better approach.

Two weeks in - steady progress

With that in mind, I asked one of the personal trainers at my gym if he’d spend an hour with me going over strategies and tips to get the most out of the limited workouts I am making time for. He said yes! I will be sure to write about some of the tidbits I learn from him after I carve out an hour somewhere to be a fitness sponge.